


Aesthetics

by NobodyAtAll



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M, Hayffie, Romance, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-27
Updated: 2015-11-27
Packaged: 2018-05-03 15:26:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5296511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NobodyAtAll/pseuds/NobodyAtAll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What’s the big deal, sweetheart? You know I’ve seen your hair before.” Haymitch x Effie, District 13. One-shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aesthetics

“What’s the big deal, sweetheart? You know I’ve seen your hair before.”

“Not like this, you haven’t. Not...”

Effie’s face was bright red. Haymitch could hardly believe how shaken-up she was. It was almost enough to make him sorry he asked her to take the scarf off. ...Almost. He still thought she was being pretty ridiculous. “What in the world are you talkin’ about?”

She ignored his question and pressed her lips to his. 

Now he was more curious than anything. Gently pulling away from her mouth, he pressed a line of kisses along her jaw and throat. His mouth hovered next to her ear. “Effie,” he breathed, “Come on.”

She sighed and opened her eyes. Haymitch decided to take that as a sigh of consent, and reached up to tug at the scarf. 

“Haymitch,” she said sharply, grabbing his hands. 

It was a long stare. He kissed her face lightly, tracing her cheekbone and then her forehead, right along the edge of the cloth. Her eyes fluttered closed again. He kissed the back of her hand, where it was latched onto own. 

Effie sighed again, loosening her grip. “If you laugh...” she whispered.

“I won’t laugh,” he promised. He gently tugged the scarf loose, and let it drop. Effie quickly pulled out the couple of hairpins holding her hair coiled against her scalp, and ran her hands through so it fell loose.

Haymitch stared for a split second until Effie kissed him again, urgently, forcefully. “Don’t look, please,” she murmured against his mouth. “Just kiss me.”

He humored her, only because he was starting to feel sorry for her. He kept his eyes closed and kissed her deeply, running his hands through her incredibly soft, natural hair. Every time he pulled up for air, she held him close, making sure he couldn’t get a good look at her. 

“Sweetheart,” he said eventually, “I’m not gonna keep my eyes closed this whole time.” He opened his eyes, staying close so their foreheads touched. 

Effie’s eyes fluttered open, but didn’t rise to meet his. Haymitch kissed the corner of her mouth, and leaned back to look at her. 

He stared. He tilted his head slightly, and stared some more. He was sure he must be missing something obvious.

Effie finally lifted her face to look at him nervously. Her eyes brimmed with tears. A bright scarlet flush spread from her cheeks down to her neck and her chest. Haymitch shook his head slowly. “I’m gonna be honest with you, Effie.” She took a shaky breath, preparing herself. “I have no idea what you’re so worried about.”

Effie took another breath. “My _roots_!” she wailed. She tugged at a lock of her hair, as if it was obvious. “It’s... awful!” 

He couldn’t help it - he smiled. “Your what?”

Her eyes flashed, like she was frustrated that he wasn’t shocked. “My hair roots are growing in naturally. Don’t pretend you can’t see it, Haymitch. At the top of my hair, _look at the color!”_

He looked. All right, now that she had pointed it out, he saw that the color of her hair about an inch out from the scalp was darker, more of a brownish-blond than the light golden-blond at the ends.

He could hardly believe it. He’d been expecting... well, he didn’t know, maybe a bald spot or something. Certainly not something as silly as this. “So, you dyed your hair a little lighter and now it’s growing out?”

“Don’t act like it’s not there, Haymitch, that just makes it so much more humiliating...” 

Now Effie was actually in tears, and Haymitch was very much done with the guessing game. “Effie. Just tell me what the hell it is I’m supposed to be seeing.”

“I’m going _gray!_ ” she practically sobbed. It was a confession.

He really wanted to laugh. He really, really did. Another quick glance at her head and yes, here and there she had a few gray hairs, disguised in the natural blond, hardly visible. He would never have even noticed without her pointing it out. But she was so upset and so self-conscious that he knew he couldn’t tease her. Instead, he gently pushed her hair back behind her ears and leaned close again. “I don’t mind it,” he reassured her. Truthfully, he kind of liked it. “You’re beautiful, Effie.”

Her eyes flicked upward in disbelief. “Don’t be silly.”

He brushed his thumb over her cheek, wiping away the tears that had escaped. “You’re the one being ‘silly,’ princess,” he responded. Her expression softened ever so slightly, and Haymitch finally chuckled. This woman was such a Capitol mess, but for some reason he still liked her. He kissed her again, deeply, pulling her close, and she melted against him.

Later, when they lay snuggled together, skin against skin, Haymitch dropped a lingering kiss on her neck. “You’re a mad-woman, you know that?” he intoned against her.

“I’m just lucky you have no sense of aesthetics,” Effie answered lightly.

Haymitch nuzzled her, nipping at her ear. “Not true," he disagreed. "I know what I like.”


End file.
